Vitalik Buterin Says Bitcoin Maxis Was Right, Needs A New ‘Governing Web’.

Vitalik Buterin said that BTC maxis was very good about sovereignty, saying that today’s internet is quietly stripping users of their privacy and independence.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin said on January 10 that Bitcoin maximalists were right in the main about digital sovereignty, arguing that today’s internet has drifted into systems controlled by companies that silently reduce user power.

His words cast sovereignty as more than resistance to government, instead framing it as a battle to protect privacy, attention, and independence from profit-driven internet platforms.

From the Open Web to the Sovereign Web

Buterin’s comments came in response to a January 1 post by X user Tom Kruise, who predicted that the Internet would split into three parts: an “open web,” a highly regulated “forbidden web,” and a smaller, encrypted “secret web” built on trust.

Buterin said he agrees with about 60% of that opinion, highlighting what he calls a long-overlooked divide between user-controlled systems and what he calls “corposlop.”

He described corpuslop as a mixture of business power, polished branding, and behavior that works quietly against users. Examples included attention-grabbing social feeds, big data collection, closed forums that block competitors’ links, and repetitive, risk-averse media output. According to him, although these programs seem useful on the surface, they gradually deprive users of choice.

The developer of Ethereum said that the first Bitcoin fans heard about this danger years ago. Their resistance to ICOs, alternative tokens, and complex applications was based on keeping Bitcoin independent rather than wrapped up in corporate profits. However, he argued that where they go wrong is relying on strict restrictions or state pressure instead of tools that expand users’ freedom.

The situation is in line with Buterin’s recent criticism of major platforms, including a warning in December last year that X had become a magnet for algorithm-driven hostility and anger. A month before that, he raised warnings about the country’s social media label feature, saying even a small leak could harm vulnerable users.

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What Building a Dominant Web Can Look Like

Looking ahead, Buterin outlined what he believes the user-first internet should prioritize. That includes first-party apps that limit data sharing, social networks that give people direct control over what they see, and financial tools that avoid the push to take big risks. He also advocated for open, privacy-focused AI systems that support human work rather than replace it.

Zac Williamson, founder of the privacy-focused blockchain Aztec, echoed that view in a previous post, saying the attention economy has weakened shared understanding and turned users into products. While Williamson warned that changing incentives would involve friction and trade-offs, he acknowledged that cryptography and decentralized systems offer a way forward.

Some public voices remain cautious. Mark Paul wrote that crypto started as an alternative to heavy technology for companies but he has done it as an example, although he suggested that the sector can still grow in that stage.

For Buterin, the challenge now is cultural as much as technological, with the idea of ​​building tools that respect privacy, resist manipulation, and give people the opportunity to think and act according to their will. His closing message is simple: reject systems that remove agency, and commit to software that puts users back in control